An assistant sub-inspector and a constable of Jharkhand police were killed when a bomb they were defusing exploded accidentally on Monday at Saria police station in Giridih district.

The police station, more than 200km from Ranchi, is located in the Maoist hotbed.

The bomb was found during an anti-insurgency operation and a bomb disposal squad was called from Hazaribag to defuse it.

But it went off when the men were working on it, apparently at the malkhana or armoury of the police station.

The explosion killed assistant sub-inspector Ashfak Quarashi of the bomb disposal squad and Mahendra Turi, a constable assisting the team. Both died instantly while three more men were injured.

Eyewitnesses said the cabin of the police station in-charge, located behind the armoury, was damaged. The disaster put to question the authorities’ decision to defuse bomb inside the police station.

“Bomb experts are investigating to find the reason behind the blast. The entire area has been sanitised,” said Giridih police superintendent AV Variyar.

The injured are Satyendra Sharma, Binod Upadhyay and Porai Oroan. They are being treated at Meena general hospital in Dumri.

Senior officers, including deputy inspector general of police Bhimsen Tuti, rushed to Saria after the explosion. The police station was sealed for outsiders.

Bagodar MLA Nagendar Mahto demanded stern action against those responsible for allowing a bomb to be defused in the police station.

“I demand adequate compensation and government job for relatives of those who died in the blast,” he told reporters.

This is the second accident in Jharkhand since 2014 when policemen tried to defuse live bombs captured from Maoists.A landmine went off in March that year, injuring two Jharkhand Armed Police troopers, a district police officer and three CRPF men on the Palamu-Chatra border.

Maoists has planted the improvised explosive device on the dry riverbed of Jhulsi in Chatra.

The blast occurred around 7.45 am in a forest near Puswada village when a road opening party of the 206th battalion of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) - a specialised unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) - was out on patrolling, a senior police official told.

"Sub-Inspector Rajesh Kumar, belonging to CoBRA 206th battalion, was killed in the explosion while constable Manik Tinpare of the same unit sustained minor injuries," he said.

While the security personnel were cordoning off a forest near Puswada, the CoBRA official came in contact with a pressure improvised explosive device (IED), planted by Maoists beneath the dirt track, that exploded leaving the two personnel, including him, injured, he said.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the injured personnel were brought to field hospital of the CRPF in Chintagufa where Kumar succumbed to his injuries, he said.

The injured jawan will be airlifted to Raipur for further medication, he said.

A combing operation has been launched in the area to nab the ultras, he added.

The ministry said there has been 63 per cent decline in insurgency incidents in the northeast, 83 per cent reduction in civilian deaths and 40 per cent decrease in security forces casualty in the region.

The geographical spread of the LWE-hit areas has been reduced from 76 districts in 2013 to 58 in 2018 while there has been 36.6 per cent reduction in incidents of violence in these areas and 55.5 per cent reduction in deaths, it said.

The minister had also said 572 civilians lost their lives and 199 security forces personnel were killed in violence perpetrated by maoists between 2015-17.

Several top leaders of the United National Liberation Front of Manipur has been awarded rigorous imprisonment of up to 7-10 years for criminal conspiracy to wage war

The security forces also curbed flow of funds to maoists, insurgents, separatists and terror groups through effective measures and a web-enabled software operationalised for online maintenance of records of seizures and recoveries of fake Indian currency notes, it said.

An NIA official said its team has recovered 10 .303 rifles, a 9mm carbine, a 9mm Browning pistol, one DBBL, two SBBL, Rs three lakh in cash, a large quantity of ammunition, levy receipts and other incriminating materials, from active Maoist area in the district, following a a tip off about the arms dump by the Maoist cadre alias Charlees during interrogation.

“Upon receipt of the information, the NIA team, with the assistance of Jharkhand Police and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) recovered the above-mentioned weapons and other materials under section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act,” the NIA official said.

Earlier, the Jharkhand Police had arrested 15 armed Maoist cadres including functionaries of CPI-Maoist and recovered 12 other weapons including AK-47, and .303 rifles from them.

It said 60 ATM (SBI) cards, 199 letters of thanks issued by the Allahabad Bank for opening accounts and 1,125 Aadhaar cards were also recovered during the operation.

Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, who arrived at Dimapur, Nagaland on 29 May 2018, continued her visit to Spear Corps Zone today. The Raksha Mantri undertook a visit of forward posts of the Assam Rifles along the Indo-Myanmar Border and was accompanied by General Officer Commanding Spear Corps Lt Gen Gopal R.

At the forward posts, the Raksha Mantri witnessed first-hand the prevalent conditions and ongoing operations of units deployed for border guarding operations in the area. Here she was briefed by commanders operating on the ground. Having made a comprehensive assessment of the situation, Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman expressed immense satisfaction on the high standards of professionalism and dedication displayed by units and formations of Spear Corps responsible for operations along the Indo-Myanmar Border.

During her visit to the forward areas, the Raksha Mantri also interacted with local State Government functionaries and representatives of other security agencies. She also met local community leaders of the area and appreciated their cooperation in maintaining security in the area.

Notwithstanding weather disruptions, the Raksha Mantri having accomplished objectives of the visit, departed for Delhi later in the day.

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The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman being briefed by the Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Gopal, GOC 3 Corps, at the Indo-Myanmar border under 35 Battalion of Assam Rifles, during her visit at Lungwa, in Nagaland on May 30, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman being briefed by the Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Gopal, GOC 3 Corps, at the Indo-Myanmar border under 35 Battalion of Assam Rifles, during her visit at Lungwa, in Nagaland on May 30, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman being briefed by the Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Gopal, GOC 3 Corps, at the Indo-Myanmar border under 35 Battalion of Assam Rifles, during her visit at Lungwa, in Nagaland on May 30, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman being briefed at Lungwa, at the Indo-Myanmar border under 35 Battalion of Assam Rifles by the Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Gopal, GOC 3 Corps and his team, during her visit to Nagaland on May 30, 2018.
The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman being briefed at Lungwa, at the Indo-Myanmar border under 35 Battalion of Assam Rifles by the Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Gopal, GOC 3 Corps and his team, during her visit to Nagaland on May 30, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman meeting the Local Naga Leaders of the Konyak tribe and discussed the local issues with them, during her visit to Nagaland on May 30, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman meeting the Local Naga Leaders of the Konyak tribe and discussed the local issues with them, during her visit to Nagaland on May 30, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman with the tribal king and queen who reside near by Lungwa post and met the local people in his residence which falls exactly on the Indo-Myanmar border where in half of the house is in India and the other half in Myanmar, during her visit to Nagaland on May 30, 2018.
The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman meeting the soldiers of 35 Rashtriya Rifles responsible for operations along the Indo-Myanmar Border, during her visit to Nagaland on May 30, 2018.